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Literary Review
Adopting a dying library
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The Library of the Royal Commonwealth Society in London, which has a rich collection of material, almost had to close down because of lack of funds. SHELLEY WALIA narrates the story of its survival.
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DURING the war it did not shut down. Students and researchers could use it late into the night. And although it suffered heavy losses owing to air assault, it reopened within a week with utmost gusto. There is no other library in the world like the Library of the Royal Commonwealth Society, London, which quarters such a rich memorabilia about a bygone age so momentous in the evolution of human history. Bringing together such colossal material would be an intimidating undertaking today. Where else, if not here, would a student of Commonwealth history have found a photograph of the Yam festival that takes place in Nigeria among the Ibo tribe to commemorate the harvest season? Great themes of colonial exploration could not be suitably examined if it had not been for the priceless collection of material that is stored here. Information about merchants in their tribal apparel, North American Indians performing their war dance, or the coming of the railways in India, all could be effortlessly consulted under one roof.
So central is the role of a library that makes available authentic backing for people to accomplish what they set out to. A reading room, snug, affectionate and agreeable, allows all to enjoy its service, memberships being completely free of charge. And no easy chairs, which are now forbidden as it was felt that they induce only "yawns". Commonwealth Studies would have suffered incalculably if the Library of the Royal Commonwealth Society had been allowed to fall to pieces, as it almost happened in 1991.
Established in 1868, the library contains an exceptional collection comprising widespread records including maps, periodicals, letters, diaries, rare first editions, notebooks, scrap-books, stamps, works of art and, on top of it all, about 350,000 books and 70,000 photographs embracing a large area of British colonial history and its steady growth into a progressive nation state. And more than anything, the academically oriented, learned staff has never overlooked an occasion to invite intellectuals from around the world to its esteemed annual lectures on an extensive variety of subjects. All specialised exhibits and annotated bibliographies are available only owing to their sincere efforts.
Around 1998 I had been invited to give a lecture there as well as use its facilities to carry out research for my project on postcolonial discourse. Working here reminded me of Rhodes House Library at Oxford where I had researched for long hours during one summer. No dearth of material, and a staff that was always at the readers' beck and call. Indeed, I found it as the most essential single research resource for students interested in cultural exchange, political expansion and trade developments. It is here that scholars can confidently investigate further on the history and theology of different races, mainly through oral accounts as well as written records of missionaries, administrators and anthropologists. Scripts of the BBC's African Service programmes, all primary and secondary sources of Kipling and other important British writers and scholarly historical material on South East Asia as well as on Caribbean islands is in plenty.
And then one day, we heard the sad news that it was to be disposed off bit by bit, for the Society had over the years gone bankrupt, and now it was a question of its survival. We all felt concerned that such valuable material concerning the shared heritage of the member states would soon be difficult to locate or, in fact, disappear.
But it so happened that our worries were short lived; Cambridge University took the wise decision of procuring the entire invaluable collection and appropriately so because of its ardent interest in the history of the Commonwealth and its affiliation with the Smuts Memorial Fund and the Cambridge Commonwealth Trust as well as the incentives it gives to graduates pursuing research in postcolonial literatures. Trust, endowments and other charities came forth to see to it that the library remained intact. Five million pounds were raised and behind the effort stood the Prince of Wales for whom it seemed heart rending to see the ruin of such an incredible collection. The Secretary General of the Commonwealth took an equally active interest. Other foundations, corporations as well as individuals were enthusiastic in their help. The appeal had succeeded and now the University has about a million in surplus of the target. The University Library already has a new wing where this amazing acquisition is now located.
It is now a hopeful hunch on the part of the library that many members of Commonwealth will make considerable assistance to the library in the way that Canada has been contributing in the past by regularly earmarking enough funds to subscribe to journals and for the purchase of books on numerous subjects relevant to Canada. This has resulted in the library holdings on Canada rising to over 20000 books, journals, manuscripts, paintings and maps. With the prospects of this enthusiastic funding in the future by various countries and bodies, the status of Commonwealth studies would certainly be enhanced facilitating Cambridge University to grow into one of the most principal centres in this spheres, especially now that it possesses this rich collection and has only recently begun to recruit lecturers in the area of postcolonial cultural studies.
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